This invention relates generally to surgical fasteners and to methods for repairing body tissue and more specifically to insertable sutures and to methods for repairing meniscus tissue.
There are a number of techniques used for closing incisions, tears, or wounds in body tissue. These techniques include, for example, the use of stitches, staples, clamps, tape, and the like. The technique used in a particluar application depends on the size, nature and location of the opening as well as factors such as necessary haste of repair, strength required, and the like. Despite the wide range of available techniques, however, a need still existed for a surgical fastener and for a method which would provide improved surgical joining of body tissues in certain applications such as in arthroscopic surgery.
There was especially a need for developing a suturing technique that would avoid the undesirable prior technique of, for example, in the case of repairing a meniscus tear in the knee, either (a) making an arthrotomy incision in the knee in order to place a suture into the inner portion of the torn meniscus through to the outer portion, or (b) taking a pair of long needles (which contain a suture between one of the adjacent ends of each needle) and place the two needles through the torn meniscus from the front of the knee joint exiting percutaneously the posterior area of the joint, thereby risking a serious accident or injury to either the neuro-vascular structures or peroneal nerves.
It is therefore an object of this invention to provide an improved surgical fastener.
It is another object of this invention to provide an improved method for repairing openings in body tissue.
It is yet another object of this invention to provide an improved suture and instrument for inserting the suture.
It is still another object of this invention to provide an improved surgical fastener and method for repairing a meniscus tear.